At His Feet

2/6/202:

Proverbs 21:21
People who try hard to do good and be faithful will find life, goodness, and honor.

Matthew 6:2-4
"When you give to those who are poor, don't announce that you are giving. Don't be like the hypocrites. When they are in the synagogues and on the streets, they blow trumpets before they give so that people will see them. They want everyone to praise them. The truth is, that's all the reward they will get. So when you give to the poor, don't let anyone know what you are doing. Your giving should be done in private. Your Father can see what is done is private, and He will reward you."

Pride wants to be seen. When I bake, I take pride in my work. The same with my writing. Whenever I post a chapter to fanfiction or I bake something that's beautiful - I want it to be seen. I want people to notice my hard work and compliment me for it. Given that, it's good that God placed me where I am. People don't comment on things; they just look and my baking goes unnoticed by the people I want acknowledgment from. One point, it's super frustrating because I worked hard on those things and feel like the least people can do is say something about it.

However, Jesus has an opposite view: He says that when I do good, don't announce it or broadcast it for everyone to see. Don't brag just for compliments and praise. The Pharisees did that: they exaggerated their clothes and when they gave to the poor, they blew trumpets so that everyone may look at them and admire them.

Which, in my mind, is pretty funny imagining a person blowing a trumpet downtown but instead of a musical performance, they just turn and give the poor a dollar. It's ridiculous but we do that through social media and our words.

The sad thing about all of this: compliments and praise from people are our only rewards when we boast and brag. When we perform, the people's admiration is our only praise and we humans are fickle. We praise a person one second but then the next, we're very good at cursing them out. Take celebrities for example: If we see a well-known celebrity out and giving to the poor, I bet we will admire them for it. However, if the celebrity does something wrong the next second like make a colored comment or just wear something others find racist - suddenly everyone sees them as horrible monsters.

See how quick we are to turn? That's why looking for praise from people is wrong - it's prideful and God is against the proud but He exalts the humble. When a person is humbled (and I've seen this) that person has nothing to prove to an audience. They don't put on performances and they don't look for likes. A humbled person knows who they are in Christ even when doubts tell them otherwise. They also don't need to defend themselves.

There have been times where I wanted to chew people out and put them in their places but God told me not to. He helped me to keep my tongue and while I was praying for the strength not to snap or cry - someone would happen to hear the other person talking about me and they said something back.

It happened at an old job and this new job. I didn't have to say or do anything and God took care of it. All because I chose to listen to Him and beg Him for help because I was ready to snap. It even happened when people tried pushing drinking on me. Every time, something would happen, and the drink would end up spilling - making the pushy person stop pressuring me. People look at those and see coincidence but I know those are miracles - God's hand of protection on me and I did not have to lift a finger to make anything happen.

Because like God said: He exalts the humbled and if we start being prideful, God (our good Father) is faithful to humble us. He makes it very clear that pride comes before a fall. This is why he warns us against pride - against wanting glory for ourselves. And He is faithful to help those who struggle with pride but come to Him to help them be humbled. I'm a living testimony of that: I'm not humbled at all - not on my own at least. God had to show me ways out from giving in to my pride and that's every day!